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Boehme, Jakob

(Encyclopedia)Boehme or Böhme, Jakob bēˈmə, Ger. yäˈkôp böˈmə [key], 1575–1624, German religious mystic, a cobbler of Görlitz, in England also called Behmen. He was a student of the Bible and was influ...

Bidermann, Jakob

(Encyclopedia)Bidermann, Jakob yäˈkôp bēˈdərmän [key], 1578–1639, German Jesuit dramatist and poet. Based on saint and martyr legends, Bidermann's plays were among the finest artistic expressions of the Co...

Swiss literature

(Encyclopedia)Swiss literature. The literature of Switzerland is written in German, French, Italian, and Romansh, with German predominating. The extensive literature in Romansh dialect (see Rhaeto-Romanic) is littl...

Schleiden, Matthias Jakob

(Encyclopedia)Schleiden, Matthias Jakob mätēˈäs yäˈkôp shlīˈdən [key], 1804–81, German botanist. He was professor at the universities of Jena (1839–63) and Dorpat (1863–64). With Theodor Schwann, he...

Spener, Philipp Jakob

(Encyclopedia)Spener, Philipp Jakob fēˈlĭp yäˈkôp shpāˈnər [key], 1635–1705, German theologian, founder of Pietism. He was pastor of the Lutheran church at Frankfurt in 1670 when, to counteract the barre...

Kuhnau, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Kuhnau, Johann yōˈhän ko͞oˈnou [key], 1660–1722, German composer and performer. Kuhnau was J. S. Bach's predecessor as organist and cantor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. He wrote various trea...

Hedwig, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Hedwig, Johann yōˈhän hātˈvĭkh [key], 1730–99, German botanist, b. Transylvania. He was an authority on the lower plants, especially mosses, and was professor at the Univ. of Leipzig from 1786...

Gutenberg, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Gutenberg, Johann go͞oˈtənbərg, Ger. yōˈhän go͞oˈtənbĕrk [key], c.1397–1468, German inventor and printer, long credited with the invention of a method of printing from movable type, inclu...

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